142 migrant departures stopped from Tunisia, NGO

1,266 people stopped in 6 months

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, JULY 17 - A total of 594 undocumented Tunisian migrants arrived in Italy in the first six months of 2019. Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux (FTDES) noted the figure in its report on irregular immigration in the first six months of the year, presented on Wednesday in the North African capital. Of them, 72% were men, 11% women, 13% unaccompanied minors and 4% children. The figure is a sharp reduction from the 3,002 who arrived in Italy in the same period of 2018.

In the first six months of 2019, 142 departures were stopped that would have carried 1,266 people via sea towards Europe. In the same period of 2018, 292 were stopped with a total of 2,659 people.

The number of Tunisians who died at sea in the same period was 423 and the number of those repatriated from Italy in 2018 was 2,323. On the basis of a calculation between those arriving and those departing, the NGO said that there had been an increase in those that went missing and died at sea during the crossing in recent years.

It said that one out of every seven migrants trying to cross died or went missing during the attempt in 2019, compared with one out of every 18 in 2018, one out of evert 41 in 2017, one out of every 40 I 2016 and one out of every 53 in 2015.